Before he was elected president, John F. Kennedy was a Pulitzer Prize winning author. His 1955 book, Profiles in Courage, summarized eight stories of dissidence, in the face of political pressure. Courage was part of the 1950s zeitgeist; on the heels of global victory, our country was deeply enamored with the notion of bravery. It is no wonder this timeless work won the 1957 Pulitzer Prize for Biography….. it spoke to a deep place, within people’s souls…. and immediate experience.
So much has changed, in the almost sixty years since the publication of this book…… yet courage was a precious virtue before Profiles, and has remained one, ever since. It is a timeless notion, grounded in principle and valor. Through the lens of pop culture, we can see its tremendous appeal; The Cowardly Lion wanted it, Nike implored us to “Just Do It!”……. these are just two examples of how courage has seeped into the collective consciousness.
What does all of this even mean? Is courage something we mere mortals can only strive for…… or is it an everyday ethical pursuit? As with most things, the real definition of courage lies somewhere in the middle.
Getting out of bed each day is an act of both hope and courage. There is no way to predict what might happen, as soon as one’s feet hit the floor. Ordinary people are called on to mobilize tremendous courage, every day. Rearing children…. takes courage…. so every parent in the world must dip into his/her reserve.
Teaching people…. takes courage… the courage to speak the truth, regardless of reception. All manner of teachers (classroom, parental, pastoral, artists, etc.) must plumb their depths, for courage, to guide and support. Courage is particularly helpful when one sets out to teach one thing….. and unexpected lessons surface. Many times, unexpected lessons also contain unbidden feelings…… this is a combination that begs for courage, dressed in armor, with no possibility of being undermined.
We all understand ,on a basic level, the courage required to save someone from a burning building….. jumping in front of one’s comrade, on the battlefield….. courage personified.
What about the nurse, who tends patients, day after day…… knowing full well that some of them are reaching the end of this realm’s assignment? What about the patient, who is faced with the prospect of letting go…. with dignity? Are each of these things an illustration of courage, often symbiotic, in their unfolding? My answer is a resounding yes.
I love the quote about courage being a still, small voice that says “I’ll try again tomorrow.” It circles back to the above assertion, that every day we pull back the covers, we are displaying remarkable courage…… and certainly, some days call for more courage than others.
Thinking, feeling, believing, acting, dreaming, hoping, loving, giving, receiving, teaching, learning, creating….. all of these things need courage, as their foundation. Without courage, the will to engage becomes dim.
Considering the Sacred Assignment, with all its mini-assignments……. the road is paved with all sorts of stepping-stones….. but courage is engraved, on each of them. Courage is a virtue of the mind, heart, soul and spirit……. when in need, check each of these places…. it’s there, waiting for you.
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